Moonlight Stars
A project by RHU

I was born in a village and came to Kampala as a baby; I then spent most of my life in Ki-Mombasa. I was living with my mom, my sister, and my two brothers back then. My mother used to sell wine out of our house and with that money she paid for me to go to school. When I reached secondary school, she told me to take a break until she could get more funds for my school fees. I began working with her selling wine and one day while my mother was sleeping one of our customers came and raped me, I became pregnant as a result. I thought it was my fault somehow and I didn’t tell my mother what had happened. When she learned that I became pregnant,  she thought I was irresponsible, she was mad at me, and she told me to leave her house.

 

Out on my own without choices, I became a moonlight star to make ends meet. I would have 5 clients a day and it was very hard for me to take both physically and emotionally. Today of course, I am a professional, I have more than 5 men every day, and I am used to it. The truth is, this work we do, it’s hard for me to call it a job, we are so vulnerable and we don’t have many choices.

 

A few years ago a European benefactor  decided to give me a chance and he paid for me to study for my teaching degree. I successfully completed my studies and I am certified as a teacher, but so far the stigma that follows me has made it difficult to find work. I have a dream to use the skills and knowledge I acquired to help my community. There are many young fatherless children here in Ki-Mombasa; I hope one day I can get funds to open a learning center for these children. I will teach them during the day and their mothers won’t have to worry about their safety or about expensive school fees.

 

Thanks to RHU I am respected in my community, becoming a peer educator means people see me differently. When I walk in the street people call out doctor! The work we are doing changes people’s lives and changes the way they see sickness. In the past, when people got STDs or STIs they were ashamed and they would keep it to themselves but today they reach out and get help.